News quiz Feb. 15 | Planes, plans and plots over Greenland

Happy Saturday and welcome back to the quiz! Five questions to see if you were following the North’s news over the past week.

1. Nolinor Aviation said recently it wants to expand its service to the North by adding to its fleet of planes by the end of the decade. What is unique about the planes it wants to buy?

A. They have a blended-wing-body design.
B. They are designed to efficiently land on ice.
C. Their larger-than-usual windows provide improved views for passengers.

2. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. saw its voter turnout skyrocket in December when it offered $100 gift cards to everyone who showed up to vote. Turnout rose to 66.7 per cent, compared to 17 per cent in 2021. Makivvik did not offer incentives when it held elections for two positions last week. What percentage of eligible voters showed up to cast a ballot?

A. 64 per cent
B. 51.1 per cent
C. 19.4 per cent

3. In Iqaluit last week, Audley Coley was honoured by the Nunavut Black History Society with a lifetime achievement award. What did he do to receive the award?

A. He’s an author specializing in Arctic history.
B. He’s a well-known actor who appeared in several Hollywood movies.
C. He’s a professional dancer and mental health advocate.

4. Canada is dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, and our Arctic friends in Greenland can feel our pain. Two of the following three scenarios actually did play out this week regarding Greenland’s future. Which one is fiction?

A. A bill was introduced in Congress for the U.S. to acquire Greenland and rename it Red White and Blueland.
B. The Make Greenland Great Again Act was sponsored in the House of Representatives authorizing Trump to negotiate the acquisition of Greenland.
C. Trump offered to contribute the first million dollars himself so the U.S. can purchase Greenland in a cash deal.

5. Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok joined Canada’s other premiers in Washington D.C. this week to convince Trump administration officials to back off on their threats to impose tariffs on Canadian imports. Which premier led the charge?

A. Quebec’s François Legault
B. Ontario’s Doug Ford
C. Alberta’s Danielle Smith

Audley Coley is this year’s recipient of the Sankofa Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nunavut Black History Society on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Audley Coley)

Answers

1. A — The blended-wing-body is considered hyper-efficient, according to Nolinor, so it can work with a smaller engine than most other planes of similar size.
2. C — It was 19.4 per cent, meaning four out of five voters couldn’t be bothered to cast a ballot.
3. C — Audley Coley is all of that, and he also established a dance program for young people in Iqaluit and volunteered to teach dance in schools there.
4. C — Trump didn’t offer to spend his own money to buy Greenland. Not yet, at least. Incredibly, answers A and B actually did happen.
5. B — Ontario Premier Doug Ford led the trip as chairperson of the Council of the Federation whose membership includes all the premiers with an aim to promote co-operation between the provinces and territories.